remix #9

this is what i wore to watch justin's band play.  i actually bought this shirt in both black and a dusty lavender.  i love the ruffles up the shoulder.  i'd like to point out that 99% of my jewelry comes from either Target or H&M because i have a nickel allergy and those stores both carry nickel-free lines.  remind me to share my nickel-allergy discovery with you sometime...

shirt: Target

skinny jeans: Target

boots: Sketchers

jewelry: Target and Charlotte Russe

happy anniversary!

i can't believe this little blog is already one year old.  it goes by as fast as the pandi is growing!  it's been awhile since i made a list so here are my top 10 blogposts from the past year (bonus points to anyone who can tell me what tv show i patterned these titles after)...

1. the one where i watched Oprah and made a big a list
2. the one with pandi's first christmas
3. the one with the letter and the paint
4. the one with the blessings
5. the one with the happiest eater
6. the one with the happy ending
7. the one with the frog kicks
8. the one with daddy's hair
9. the one with the aussie splash
10. the one with the cutest face ever

halfway there!

last weekend, saraya and i completed our 6th of 12 5Ks (#33).  this is the first one we've been able to do since the end of january because we got sick in february and i was gone for the first part of march.  it was a beautiful day in balboa park to raise money for autism.  we were also excited because uncle corey and some of his kids joined us!  the long break meant this had to be a walking event until we can work our way back up to jogging/running but it was still great. 

april is going to be a busy month though; we've got to make up for lost time so i've scheduled one for both of us the first weekend, and my first solo run towards the end of the month. wish us luck!

what's for dinner wednesday - seared ahi

one of justin's specialties is sesame seared ahi.  tonight we served it with wasabi mashed potatoes and shredded, stir-fried brussel sprouts.  no real recipe, just pure deliciousness!

remix #8

the pandi wanted to play along today...

jacket: Old Navy

embellished tank: GAP

jeans: Ralph Lauren (from friend)

shoes: Madden Girl (from the Buckle)

necklace: Target

tuesday's treasury - give a hoot!

and owl love you forever...

springing forward

participating in this 30 for 30 challenge has put a damper on my spending (which is not a bad thing), but it has also made my online window shopping more of a temptation than ever!  so far i am maintaing balance by only looking at accessories... we'll see how long that lasts!  anyhow, here are some fun spring accessories that have been keeping me distracted from real shopping.

found here

found here

found here

found here

found here

found here

found here

remix #7

i bought this shirt years ago because i thought it was a really nice shade of pink.  more like a salmon.  and it's sheer with a pretty pattern.  every time i considered wearing it though, it never seemed to live up to how i envisioned it in my head.  yet and still, i could never manage to get rid of it come time to clean the closet.  so after some wrestling with myself, i decided to include it in the challenge.  i figure at the very least, i will feel good about getting rid of it once i know for sure it doesn't work in my wardrobe! 

shirt: Old Navy

jeans: GAP

shoes: Madden Girl (from The Buckle)

belt: Target

earrings: H&M

ring: garage sale

remix #6

this is my "checking for rain" pose.  luckily, it was not raining because i couldn't find my super cute polka dot umbrella anywhere and i left my rain boots out of this challenge...

dress: GAP

sweater: GAP

boots: Sketchers (from Victoria's Secret)

jewelry: Target

touch - paw

remix #5

daylight got away from me so you're stuck with this indoor picture.  i love this blouse.  it has cute little swallows flying around and a nice lace detail.  it's also one of the more difficult pieces for me to use in more than one way.  and these are some of my favorite shoes. kitten heels are nice for short girls who can't always handle sky high heels but need a little pick me up for keeping pants off of the ground. and these necklaces are fun too. the small one was a gift from the pandi and her daddy and the long double strand cost a dollar at the LA fashion district.  (if you've never checked out the fashion district, it's an incredible 100 blocks of shopping!)  i noticed that i'm wearing jeans a lot.  but they're sooo comfortable and at least i'm keeping the rest of the outfit from being too casual, right?!

blouse: PacSun

jeans: GAP

shoes: Madden Girl (from The Buckle)

remix #4

i always get compliments on this necklace; it's one of my favorites!  and please ignore the plant in the background.  i was trying to change the view but what i really ought to do is just take the picture somewhere else besides the backyard...

sweater: GAP

shirt: PacSun

jeans: GAP

shoes/jewelry: Target

cheesy tree prop: priceless

haiku friday - yo gabba gabba!

dj lance rock says

let's remember what we did

yo gabba gabba!

finally mobile!

it's more of an army low scoot than a true crawl but it gets her where she wants to go!

dr fish

pedicures used to be quite a regular occurence for me.  living so close to the beach both in hawaii and in california, cute toes were more of a necessity than a luxury.  that is, until little babe came along.  i still get an occasional pedicure but my time for luxuries has to be chosen wisely.  if i have an option between a pedicure, a haircut, a massage, or a pilates or yoga class, you can bet pedicures are coming in last.  luckily, i consoled myself on this recent trip away from home by getting an ultimate pedicure.  what constitutes an ultimate pedicure you ask?  the secret is dr. fish, a not so secret thing in many other parts of the world but for some reason, a banned service in most of the US.  little fish eat dead skin and it tickles like nobody's business!

i got two friends to join me at the spa.  one male friend thought the novelty alone was worth the $5 cost.  he got in first, and boy were those fish excited!  they instantly swarmed him and got to work.

after i got in, they forgot he was even there!  i hadn't had a pedicure in months so they had a lot to work with... and i must say, it was a very strange sensation.  like i mentioned before, it tickles like crazy.  and just when you start to get used to the feeling, one moves between your toes, or up the back of your calf and the uncontrolled squeals start all over again.

i took some video footage so you could see the nibbling and hear the squealing for yourselves.

best $5 spent on the trip!

remix #3

this is one of justin's favorite shirts of mine.  i hope he doesn't get sick of seeing it over the next 30 days! 

shirt: Tilly's

jeans: Ralph Lauren (from a friend)

scarf: so old i don't remember

shoes: Target

what's for dinner wednesday - stuffed peppers

another recipe that allows for a LOT of imagination.  the basis is bell peppers stuffed with meat and rice.  this time i chose a variety of peppers (colors are fun!), ground turkey, basmati rice, diced tomatoes, red cabbage, onions, carrots, a little seasoning and topped with cheese!  so start with whatever peppers you prefer...

cut off the tops and scrape the seeds out

not pictured: cook rice and add to meat/veggie; fill peppers with mixture

add cheese (you can't see it but i actually put a little cheese in the bottom of each pepper AND on top)

stick in the oven at 350 for about 20-30 minutes (just enough to soften the peppers a bit and melt the cheese - the other ingredients should be cooked already)

and then i just add the tops on the plate because they're pretty.  some people like to chop up the tops and add them to the mixture.  have fun with this!  use different meats, or no meat at all.  use brown rice or quinoa.  be creative and share you favorite ingredients because i'm always looking for new ways to make old favorites...

remix #2

dress: Forever 21

shoes: Target

earrings: H&M

sunglasses: Target

i know, i know, don't quit my day job right?  there's more than my lack of height that keeps me from being a supermodel... but it's still fun to pretend!

tuesday's treasury - feelin' irie!

30 for 30 remix challenge!

i'm no fashionista but i'd like to think i can put a nice outift together.  my problem is that when i find an outfit combination i like, that is the only way i'll wear it, over and over again.  then i'm sick of those clothes and next thing i know, i'm buying more.  i have too many clothes.  there, i said it.  and if i took an honest inventory of my closet, i could probably stand to get rid of half of them.  but before i do anything so drastic, i need to feel comfortable that the clothes i keep (and any future ones i buy) are truly essential parts of my wardrobe that i can mix and match. 

in steps kendi skeen to save my day.  on her blog kendieverday, she has inspired so many women to shop their own closets, tap into their creativity, and save money.  there are 3 simple rules. 
1.  pick 30 items or less from your closet.  shoes count!  accessories (scarves, jewelry, tights, hats) don't.
2.  remix the 30 items into 30 different outfits.  it might take 30 days or 3 years; doesn't matter, just do it!
3.  no shopping for 30 days.

sounds easy enough.  and after looking at her remixes, i really feel like there's not a good reason i can't do this.  i don't think i will be able to post my outfit daily but i'll do my best to post an update as often as possible and then a nice recap at the end.  i'm really trying to set myself up for success with this challenge!  i already know i can't do 30 consecutive days.  i have reserve duty for 2 days so i'll be in uniform that weekend, and i also have a wedding to attend.  another thing to take into consideration is the weather.  late march to late april may be spring but here in san diego, it's hard to know for sure if it's going to be nice and cool or uncomfortably warm.  i decided to include lots of layers and no shorts or sandals, making this a work/going out focus.

so here is my first outfit.  opinions are welcome throughout the challenge (my skin is thick) and please feel free to ask any questions about an article of clothing, an accessory, or whatever!

sweater: Target

shirt: Anthropologie

pants: Old Navy

shoes: Target

earrings: Dragunfli Designz

i'd appreciate any feedback and am happy to answer questions!  and let me know if you decide to take the challenge too...

touch - spring peony

book review - Tweak

This is not a book I would normally read.  I am a fan of fiction; I enjoy horror stories, romance, a little fantasy, etc.  I read this upon the recommendation of a friend.  Tweak is a memoir (which some people argue is fiction).  Nic Sheff is a drug addict.  This is a heavy story, gritty and at some points, stomach-churning.  Throughout the book, I found myself asking how someone could get so low.  I believe in choosing happiness and to see someone make terrible decisions over and over again, to not love themselves enough to change their situation, was hard to witness.  Sheff tells the story of how he reached his lowest point, how he finally found a recovery program that guided him to love himself, and how he is still struggling to maintain sobriety.

A couple of standout quotes:

"Just remember, Nic, the only thing that ever really gives us any genuine satisfaction is caring for other people.  The only thing that actually makes life more fulfilling is our love for others." 

"As long as you look for someone else to validate who you are by seeking their approval, you are setting yourself up for disaster.  You have to be whole and complete in yourself.  No one can give you that.  You have to know who you are - what others say is irrelevant."

While this was a difficult read, I still think it was a worthwhile addition to my book list for the year.  It's good to step out of your comfort zone periodically and though I try to show my gratefulness everyday, sometimes it's easy to take it for granted when your life is good.  Another interesting side note is that Nic's dad also wrote a memoir called Beautiful Boy.  It's his story of watching his son's struggles with addiction.  I'm still not sure if I'll add that one to my list but I definitely thought the concept was novel.

haiku friday - pot o' gold

little leprechaun

waiting at the rainbow's end

guarding a treasure

happy st patrick's day!

more legwarmers!

is it fair to pinch her even though she's wearing green?!

what's for dinner wednesday - irish fare!

guinness corned beef and cabbage, irish "risotto", and irish car bomb cupcakes!  yes, please!

justin had a request for corned beef so i found this recipe for guinness corned beef and cabbage and made a few tweaks.  i am not a fan of the super strong clove and allspice flavor so i left those out.  but i did take the suggestion to use draught beer instead of stout (so it's not too bitter).  i picked up a delicious looking piece of meat...

and these fantastic looking purple carrots from the farmer's market...

and fast forward a bit to this final product (served over rice and with a nice cold guinness)!

i didn't get a chance to make this yet, but it looked and sounded pretty good.

and these beautiful little creations are being made for a little get-together this weekend.  can't wait!

what irish-themed dishes are any of you planning this year?  share your recipes!

tuesday's treasury - top o' the morning!

the nerdy knitter

this is my friend malia.  she knits.  and she's a bit of a nerd about it (though she will proudly admit that).  malia is teaching me how to knit.  she is the only knitter i've ever met who uses the terms fibonacci sequence, mobius, and abacus in reference to knitting.

see the pretty scarf she's wearing?  she made that.  it's an infinity scarf that is both a mobius strip and a fibonacci sequence. 

and the abacus comes in when she's in the middle of a project.  she created this as a placemarker for her stitches...

while we were in korea, we found some time to check out a couple of yarn shops.  i found a bunch of cute ideas and picked up my first circular needles.

our friend shawn thought it would be helpful if he modeled the shrug.  at least he didn't pull it off the mannequin.

we even got a chance to watch a local knit/crochet group in action.

malia recommended i check out ravelry and vogue knitting.  there's even an app for my smartphone that i can use to help me with my knitting!  hopefully i'll have some cute projects to share soon!